Monsters
by The B.u.t.t.e.r.f.l.y Project
Summary: When a teenage Elena is forced to flee from her home in Midgar because of her abusive sister, she seeks refuge in the abandoned ShinRa Mansion in Nibelheim. At first alone and afraid, she soon finds security with someone unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

**Hatred**

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She hated her. She absolutely _hated _ her.

Who? Oh, only her dear, dear sister, the over-achiever, and the successful Turk. Elena had never loathed anyone more in her life, if she was to be perfectly honest. Not only was her sister someone who worked for that evil, bloodthirsty ShinRa company that Elena had such a distaste for, but that same sister of hers was the one who received all of the glory and praise from their parents and friends, while Elena (as the younger sibling) was left to hear comments such as 'why can't you be more like that?', 'Oh, your sister could do that without even trying!', and so on. What Elena didn't understand was how someone with a poisonous attitude like that of her sister could be showered with so much praise for being a Turk, of all things! Turks were evil and inhumane monsters. They killed, they kidnapped, and they hurt the innocent, all because they knew no better than to follow orders. Even common wild monsters that were encountered in the plains were above them in Elena's mind, for most wild monsters only killed for a reason. Still, whatever the type of monster, monsters were only monsters for a reason. Turks chose this path all by themselves, and then allowed someone else to make all other decisions for them. That was their reason for being monsters, whereas wild monsters were born to be hated and misunderstood. They, unlike Turks, had no choice, and couldn't help being what they were.

As you may well assume, these opinions and comments didn't go down too well with her family (being closely connected with the ShinRa company), or even the gifted older sibling herself. Although her sister was hot-tempered, she managed to hold in her rage until all eyes were turned in another direction, which was when Elena's punishment would begin. This 'punishment' could range from small things like verbal arguments, all the way to more serious things like Elena finding herself locked in the dark, spider-filled cupboard under the stairs, or just plain being beaten, depending on her sister's mood at the time. Turks truly were merciless creatures.

Their most recent battle this afternoon had resulted in Elena suffering several blows, while managing to deal some to her sister in return. This battle had been what had made up Elena's mind, and had made her understand that she had just had enough. That battle would be the last, and this was her vow as she barricaded herself in her bedroom after she had fled from the combat that had been raging just downstairs in the living room. She was getting out of here. She knew she just couldn't live like this anymore. Although Elena had nowhere to go, the blonde teenager knew well enough that anywhere in the world was much better than here; this place that she was ashamed to call 'home'.

With one look around her small bedroom for what she believed would be the last time, the teenager then hurried over to her wardrobe and searched it high and low, finally finding that the rucksack that she had been searching for was stowed away in one of the top compartments.

It was a challenge to climb up inside of the wardrobe to reach the rucksack, due to the high wall of boxes that were stacked upon the floor in there. Still, she managed to overcome such a difficulty by jumping up clinging to the silver rail above, upon which several coat hangers bearing clothes were hung. This rail aided her efforts to pull herself up into the deep, main body of the wardrobe. Elena really wished that she at least had better footing than that which she had been provided with her, for the folded-down tops of the boxes beneath her feet were uneven, and she wobbled every so often as she stood upon them, a fair distance from the hardwood floor below. If they gave way and she fell, it would definitely be a fall to remember. That wasn't a comforting thought at all, since she could practically feel herself sinking a little ways into the topmost box, which gave a terrifying shudder (even under her light weight) that almost drew forth a cry of fear from Elena. To make matters worse, this wardrobe was rather dark save for the light that filtered in here and there, which reminded her of that dreaded cupboard under the stairs that had served as her prison on far too many occasions. Such memories sent a shiver of terror through her, and she hastily grabbed the decently-sized black rucksack and hopped down from the cardboard platform which the several boxes had provided for her. How she had managed to stay atop those uneven boxes was a mystery to her, but she supposed she owed it to luck more than anything else.

With rucksack in hand, she went about grabbing some essentials, such as a wallet filled with what money she had saved up, a few clean changes of clothes, a few comfort items like her MP3 player and a particularly cute toy that she was rather attached to, some snacks that she had found hidden safely within one of the drawers, and several bathroom supplies from her shelf.

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**Escape**

With only one last look around her bedroom to remind herself of what it looked like, Elena approached the window, slipped the rucksack on to her back, and climbed up on to the window ledge. As someone who had never thought too much of herself (thanks to the negative opinions of herself that she had received from others who thought that she was worthless if she wasn't her sister), Elena naturally doubted herself upon reaching this stage. Deep down, part of her heart knew well that this was just a childish game, and that she was too weak and stupid to ever go through with such an operation. '_I can do it,_' she thought with some uncertainty, pressing one of her hands flat against the glass. She knew that once she did this, there was no turning back, and no going home. Was she sure that this was what she wanted?

_**"****Elena! Sweetie! You can come down now if you've thought about what you've done!" **_

That forced sickly sweet tone of her sister's was enough to make up her mind, and as she heard the sounds of footsteps upon the stairs leading up to her room, Elena knew that she had to do this. With one deep breath, she made a leap of faith through the open window and in the direction of the tall tree that stood proudly not far from it. It paid off. Her desperate hands managed to grasp at one of the outstretched branches, which felt horribly rough and coarse against her soft skin. Still, freedom was worth the scratches that her hands and body received. Remembering that her sister would no doubt be preparing to enter her room by now, Elena hastily scrambled down the branches as fast as one could in such inappropriate dress as a white shirt, a red sweater, high socks, black school shoes and a short black skirt possibly could be expected to. She was so very relieved to reach the ground, and upon setting her feet down upon it as she hopped down from the lowest branch, the teenager could identify the feeling of her heart pretty much singing. She was free, and hopefully she had made her escape into a world where she would no longer be hurt or punished for thinking what she thought. Wishing to immediately taste this freedom, she fled.

"**...and I guess that's how I got here,"** the teenage blond sighed to herself as she stood outside the creepy old ShinRa Mansion, of all places, with its creepy squeaky gate (which was covered with crawling ivy), broken windows and run-down garden out front. The building's bricks were dark, dirty and worn with age and the effects of weather. In short, it looked like the classic set of a horror movie. Why was it that old, abandoned, badly kept mansions were so damned terrifying, and yet so very intriguing? Still, she couldn't be too scared about staying in this place when her situation at home was the thing that seemed so much scarier. Today's fight really had been a big one, and she was glad to be away from it, even if seeking sanctuary in this old place was the same as seeking refuge with an old (and particularly bitter) enemy. Still, regardless of the fear and awe that was building up in this place, she knew that she couldn't dilly-dally here for too long, for fear that anyone may have followed her, and had plans to drag her back home they second they caught sight of her. That was the last place she wished to be right now, especially while that beast was there, probably receiving bucket-loads of sympathy for having such a worthless, badly behaved brat for a sister. Such a thought was all that was necessary for a scowl to darken her features, and, summoning all of her courage; Elena forced open the old oak double doors and entered.


	2. Chapter 2

****

Fear

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Elena knew that something was horribly wrong from the moment that those huge, ancient doors of wood swung open with an ominous creak, but there was no turning back now.

Memories of a certain spider-filled and terrifyingly dark cupboard filled her mind as she took her first step into the shadowy hall of such gigantic size, and she slowly leaned back against the old wooden doors which squealed as they were eased back into place. Shut inside with an echoing bang as the doors were sealed shut, Elena was now trapped safely within her sanctuary. Since she didn't know how long she would be staying here, she supposed that it would be a good idea to at least make a brief exploration of this place to get to know it as well as she could (as scary as it would no doubt be for her to do so). She would of course start with her current location: it was what appeared to be the main hall.

Once upon a time this had no doubt been a magnificent and elegant room, judging from the smooth tiles below her feet, the old chandelier that hung above, the once beautiful paintings that were hanging upon the walls, and the marvellous staircases that led up to the corridor above. Now, however, it was simply a shadow of its former self. All that the light touched was white, black, or greyed with age and Elena somehow got the impression that she had stepped foot into the set of a particularly old horror movie.

**"M-...maybe it just needs a tiny clean..." **she thought aloud to herself, looking this way and that and absentmindedly tracing her finger along a nearby wall as she cautiously made her way deeper into the shadowy hall. Upon removing her fingertip from the old wood surface, Elena was shocked (as well as somewhat repulsed) to find it completely covered with a thick layer of dust. Wincing and frantically wiping her hand on her skirt to clean the muck off, she wrapped her arms around herself and immediately chose to correct her previous statement: **"Make that a _big_ clean..."** She could make it her project. Hopefully cleaning a place of such an enormous size would distract her from just how creepy the mansion was.

As she began on her adventure, Elena couldn't help but wonder just how much of the mansion she would be able to clean before she just gave up, for there was no single room in the entire building that she could find (and the rooms were so very numerous) that was not in as dire need of help as the hall was. Just thinking about all of those gigantic, filthy rooms was enough to make her feel faint. **"Must everything that's attached to ShinRa be so damned dirty?" **Elena sighed quietly to herself, obviously thinking of the bloodstained hands of those who were attached to the company as well as this dirty old mansion. The sheer effort that Elena imagined it took to clean such a place would alone be reason enough to abandon it.

After several hours of exploring the mansion and even going so far as to draw herself a map on a piece of paper that she had found in one of the bedrooms, Elena was finally ready to settle down to eat and then get some sleep. In the downstairs library that she had discovered, Elena sat up upon the desk with her rucksack by her side, her honey-coloured eyes scanning the bookshelves that surrounded her with some awe as she worked on eating the sandwich that she had bought on her journey over to Nibelheim. There were so many books, although none of them appealed to her in the slightest. They were all far too old, boring or complex for her liking, but just the fact that there were so many neatly tucked away in the bookcases lining the walls was enough to impress her.

With her sandwich finished and a drink taken from a bottle that she had brought along, Elena decided that she had better go and get some rest. Replacing her rucksack upon her back once again, the young blonde traced her route with her finger and rested it over the small box that she had marked 'BEDROOM'. Ah, where better to sleep? Keeping her map in hand just in case she required it so that she could check her route, Elena hurried on her way back through the underground passage. She stopped immediately however, when she understood that there was still one door that she was yet to check.

It was a dark-coloured door that blended well into the wall surrounded it, so it was understandable that she had missed it when she had first passed it. _Should I? _Elena asked herself cautiously, taking another brave step closer to the door that interested her so very much. It was only one room, right? It wouldn't take at all long to take a peek inside, but then, she was so very tired at this moment. Couldn't it wait until morning? _It could, but...I'm here now. I could just open the door... _No doubt it would keep her up all night thinking about it.

Elena had pondered on this tricky choice for quite some time, finally realising that with all the time she had spent thinking, she could have both checked the room and gone to bed. _Screw it, I'm looking!_ With that, her hand shot out and grasped the door handle, slowly easing the door open with a soft whine from the hinges. For some reason, Elena was getting a strange feeling from this particular door and it was quite unlike any feeling that she had experienced during her tour of the rest of the mansion. Something good was in here; she could just feel it. Somehow, she knew that this door wasn't about to reveal something mundane like another dining room. However, a building feeling of anxiety mixed with dread began welling up within her when she understood that such a gut feeling about the contents of this room could mean that something evil and horrific lay beyond the door. This was the abandoned ShinRa mansion, after all. She wouldn't put it past them to keep something awful and terrifying trapped deep underground. Still, she would no doubt find her answer soon enough. The door creaked open and she hesitantly peeked into the darkness beyond.

The teenager at first thought that she was incorrect to be so suspicious. When the door finally opened far enough for Elena to see into the room that lay beyond, she found that it was simply another fair-sized room with what appeared to be three large tables of some kind lined up inside. The tables to the left and right were pushed back a bit, while the one that was positioned in the centre had been pulled a little closer to the door. It was funny that there were tables without chairs being kept down here, but upon giving it some more thought, she realised that there was nothing too strange about it at all. It was completely possible that this was just a storage room for spare furniture. That would explain the lack of decoration and the fact that there were no windows at least. Still, would it have killed them to add some lights down here? Elena really had to strain her eyes to see at all in this room, since it was so very dark, gloomy and not very interesting at all upon first impressions. Still, regardless of its lack of interesting features, Elena almost didn't feel safe being alone in the dark in here. She was getting a horrible feeling that there was more to this room than that which met the eye, which was not a comforting idea at all when it came to anything that had 'ShinRa' in the title.

No sooner had she entertained such thoughts of there being more to this room than it was letting on did her eyes fall upon something interesting. This 'something' lay bundled up in one of the shadowy corners with a sheet casually thrown over it. How mysterious. Elena just couldn't resist knowing what lay under there, even if it was just some old antique that the sheet was simply protecting from the dust that seemed to adore this place. Her echoing footsteps approached the odd lump in the corner slowly, before she reached out with one hand and grasped the sheet. As expected, she could just _feel_ the dust that had settled upon it, as well as a few sticky remnants of spider webs that clung so unpleasantly to her fingers. Wishing to rid herself of these horrible sensations, Elena quickly pulled the sheet back to reveal what it had been hiding, casting the dirtied material aside.

The sight that met her eyes was enough to stun her completely and Elena simply stood frozen, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape as she stared in horror at what she had uncovered. That was no antique as she had expected it to be, it was a human skeleton. An honest-to-god skeleton! A blood curdling scream of utter terror suddenly burst forth from her lips as she eyed the bones that she had uncovered, and all she could do was watch as a large, hairy spider clambered down the stone wall and on to the skull. Unable to stop her screams, Elena stumbled back in a panic, only to hear what she assumed to be the crunching of more bones under her feet as she tried to get the hell out of here. By now, the poor girl was simply sobbing with terror, unable to determine where she could walk without crushing something underfoot, be it bones or an insect of some description. Coming to a stop, Elena's body was trembling madly as she stood there with her arms wrapped tightly around herself for comfort. It brought her little, (if any) though. After seeing that skeleton, Elena was so horribly shaken, and that spider had only served to make matters worse. It was only psychological, but she could feel little hairy legs tickling and moving her hair as the spiders of her nightmares clambered all over her body, causing her screams to only become louder and so much more hysterical. This wasn't a storage room, and those weren't tables! Those were coffins, and this was some kind of crypt! The grinning skeleton that was slumped lazily in the corner and the remnants of bone that lay underfoot were enough to make her understand that.

Elena continued to panic, sob and scream, but this would do her no good.

Not here, not now.

Her attention was grabbed by the sound of a nearby creaking noise which came from the direction of the closest coffin, and it was all she could do to prevent herself from fainting as she stood there shivering and trembling, hyperventilating and sobbing.

The coffin was opening.

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	3. Chapter 3

_Everyone, thank you all so much for the encouraging and positive reviews! I wasn't sure how well this story was going to be received at first, but I'm really relieved that people seem to be enjoying it so much. Because of your positive comments, I'm happy to continue with this fic and I hope you will enjoy the rest of the story as much as you seem to have enjoyed the first couple of chapters. _

_Thank you so much for the support!_

_B.u.t.t.e.r.f.l.y  
_

**Cat and Mouse  
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She had to get out of here while she still had the chance, but her feet were glued to the cold, stone floor that lay below. Elena had no choice but to stand rooted to the spot as the lid of the nearest coffin was thrown to the ground with a violent slam. A tall silhouette that was almost human in appearance began gradually rising up out of the now open casket, but Elena only kept her gaze in its direction long enough to catch a split-second glimpse.

_Oh, god...oh god! This...has g-...got to be a bad dream!! Maybe...if...I-...I close my eyes....!_

Elena knew too well that this was no nightmare, but still she tried to fool herself by closing her honey-coloured eyes so tightly that it almost hurt. As she stood there, cold, alone and afraid with what she believed to be a zombie, a vampire, or a skeleton eyeing her up, she held herself as tightly and as reassuringly as possible. At least her cries and screams had quieted to soft and shaky whimpers and sobs, so she wouldn't be making herself out to be too much of a coward. **"G-...go away!" **she commanded of whatever it was that had risen from that coffin, her voice trembling and quaking almost as much as her slender body was. Still, the teenager somehow managed to sound a lot braver than she was currently feeling when giving that command, but it didn't take long for her mind to arrive at the terrible realisation that this would no doubt steer her towards a faster death. At least her agony wouldn't be prolonged.

All was silent for a few moments, save for the sound of the creature stepping from the casket and on to the ground, a deep sigh of what almost sounded like disbelief slowly escaping from it. Elena was so certain that it was going to end here. Oh, if only she weren't so cowardly. After all, it was her fear that had frozen her in such a way and nothing more. Were that fear nonexistent, she would either be able to challenge this creature of Hell to a battle, or she would have at least the courage to turn and hurry away to safety. No doubt her sister would have the courage for at least that much, but not Elena. As much anger as this brought bubbling up within her, Elena knew it to be true. Perhaps it was her determination to prove herself wrong and make it clear that she was just as good as her sister was what freed her from her temporary paralysis. Before she knew it, the teenager was clumsily stumbling backwards, her hands held outstretched behind her as they began fumbling around in a frantic and desperate search for the brickwork that she knew lay behind her. If she could find the wall, then she could find the door. All she had to do was stay as calm as she possibly could and focus on searching for the exit. However, 'staying calm' was something that was much, much easier said than done in this situation, as Elena could feel her heartbeat quickening at the sound of those soft and yet so very audible footsteps slowly making their way towards her. She couldn't let the creature that the silhouette had been hiding reach her! She couldn't! The very reason that Elena had fled from her home in Midgar was to seek sanctuary elsewhere, not to be killed in whatever location she chose next!

When those footsteps were so unbearably close that she could practically hear the very breath of whatever was approaching her, Elena's groping hands finally found the rough brickwork of the wall that she had been searching for. Hurriedly feeling her way along and blindly sidestepping in what she believed to be the direction of the doorway, Elena felt her fear only contributing to her determination to live. Now that she had remembered her true reason for being here in this building, she wasn't about to let her efforts to find freedom and safety go to waste. After all, if she had wanted to give up on life and allow herself to die, then she would just have stayed in Midgar with her sister! Ah! There was the doorway! She found herself stumbling back through the gap, and back out into the dim, arteficial light of the hall that lay beyond. In a flash, she had turned from the crypt door, opened her eyes and bolted back up the hallway and towards the long spiral staircase. Due to how tired she currently was, Elena wasn't sprinting quite as fast as she was capable of, which meant that whatever was chasing her was currently having no troubles keeping up with her. She would have to find somewhere safe to barricade herself inside until it was safe to come out again, or at least call for help if she happened to stumble into a room with a phone.

Rushing back up the spiral staircase had left her feeling dizzy and her fatigue was really starting to kick in, but she had to fight for life. She could hear those footfalls hammering upon the floor close behind her, and so had no choice but to keep running for her life like a vulnerable creature being hunted by a particularly vicious and determined carnivore. If that thing from the coffin wanted her life, she was going to make it work as hard as it could to damn well earn it. As she ran so desperately for her life, her honey-coloured eyes frantically searched this way and that for a door - any door - that could possibly become her hiding place within the building that she had not long ago called her sanctuary. Seeing those large, oak doors barred shut down below in the main hall, Elena was suddenly hit by the frightening realisation that her so-called 'sanctuary' had become her newest prison. Still, she kept going, knowing that coming to a halt for even a second was completely out of the question while those footsteps were following her.

**Hide and Seek**

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Within seconds, she had cleared the coriddor, and had barged into the closest room (which thankfully, happened to be the bedroom). There were plenty of places to hide in such a room, such as under one of the few beds, in the decently-sized wardrobe that was set against the east wall, etcetera. In here, she would be safe for at least a little while.

Hearing those thudding footfalls rounding the corner and coming unbearably close, Elena knew that the time for thinking was long-since over. Without a second thought, she hastily pulled her rucksack from her back and threw it under the nearest bed, before leaping under there after it. Now on her belly with her body pressed firmly against the dusty, hardwood floor that lay below the bed, Elena kept herself quiet as she hid, being sure to stay as low as possible so that she didn't hit her head (or any other part of her body) on the frame of the bed that was really only centimeters above her. It had been a tight squeeze, but she had made it. After hastily shuffling herself into position so that she was properly covered by the frame of the bed, Elena silently lay in wait, gazing out from the shadows caused mainly by the overhanging ends of the blankets. She was terrified to see what had been pursuing her so energetically, but wouldn't it all be made just a tiny bit less terrifying if she could only see the feet of the creature? It would be less to take in then the entire picture, after all.

Regardless of whether or not Elena was ready to discover what had been chasing her, those footsteps entered the room, slowing to a calm and steady pace as the footfalls thudded against the firm, hard wood of the floorboards beneath them. With every step taken by her pursuer, Elena could feel the floorboards beneath her body shuddering, disturbing the dust particles beneath the bed which sent them flying up into the air. The teenager knew that one sneeze could be fatal, so did her best to hold her breath and keep herself as calm and quiet as possible so as to avoid being discovered. As a pair of large, black leather boots with gold metal plate covers followed by the tattered hem of what appeared to be a cloak passed the bed that she was hiding under, young Elena couldn't help but feel some confusion. Was this a man or a monster that she was dealing with? Whatever it was, she could see nothing really much higher than the ankles, so it was very difficult to tell. Just because the feet looked human didn't necessarily mean that they were, after all. She had never seen a human wearing a cape, she knew that for certain.

The mysterious feet and crimson cape paused in the middle of the room for a moment, before another sigh was released into the otherwise silent air. The feet turned to leave, striding back in the direction of the doorway, before they came to an immediate halt when an unexpected: _"Chuu!"_ sounded from beneath one of the beds. Elena's heart practically stopped as that one sneeze revealed her location. She had almost been safe, but alas, the dust that had failed to settle once the mysterious feet had come to a halt had simply irritated her nose a little too much. Within a second, she had thrown away all of the hard work and energy that she had put into escaping from the crypt and hiding herself away. She had been so close to escape that she had almost tasted freedom on the air, but with one small sneeze caused by the dust that she had loathed ever since she had entered this mansion, it was all over. This was it. It was surely the end.

There was no escaping as the figure on the other side of the overhanging blankets slowly leaned down, a pair of leather-clad and buckle-covered legs making themselves visible as the stranger crouched down. As her eyes studied what was visible of the stranger, Elena found her gaze landing upon a holster that was attached to the male's right leg. This holster was home to perhaps the biggest handgun that she ever did see and she couldn't help but fearfully wonder if that would be the weapon used to end this miserable existence. A sharp shriek then escaped her as a large, golden metal-plated hand that was almost clawed in appearance reached out and lifted the overhanging covers that had served as Elena's barricade and shield between she and he who was crouched on the other side. There was no doubt about it, this man was a monster, or at least had the appearance of one. As tears of terror coursed down her cheeks and her body once again became a shivering wreck, the stranger soon lowered his head enough to peek under the bed and finally reveal his species to the terrified girl.

This man was no doubt a vampire, or at least that was what this quivering females over-excitable imagination (not to mention her bad habit of jumping to conclusions) wanted her to think. In her mind, she had all the evidence she needed: ghostly pale skin framed by long, tumbling raven hair, as well as the high-collared crimson cloak which he kept his head lowered in to so that the material (which was fastened with black leather straps) hid his mouth and only came up to the area just above his top lip, only some distance beneath his long, slender nose. No doubt such a garment had been chosen to hide his fangs, or that was Elena's assumption. The sobbing and shaking girl shrank back against the white wall right behind the bed, wishing to keep as much of a distance between herself and the male as was possible. However, no matter how far back she crawled, it seemed that there was just no escaping those piercing blood-red eyes. It was obvious now that there was no running from such a man, for even hiding was made impossible by that penetrating gaze that would follow her right into the very deepest darkness, or even to the ends of the earth itself if she should try to flee once again. However, she would not try that tactic once more, no matter how tempting it was. Even through her fear, she could see that such an action would be futile, for to run from him was to attempt to run from fear itself. It would always be tracking her, ready to pounce as he no doubt was preparing himself to right this minute.

Without warning, his right arm (which looked just as one would expect a man's leather-clad arm to look like) suddenly shot out under the bed like a bullet, his aim as perfect as that of a highly-trained sniper. With his fingers outstretched, he reached for her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, thanks for all the support everyone! ^_^ It's all these great reviews that encourage me to carry on with this story. I'm not going to let you down. ^_^ _

_B.u.t.t.e.r.f.l.y_

**Pain**

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When she had seen that hand reaching out to grab her, Elena had been so sure that she was about to be forcefully snatched and dragged out from her safe little hiding place under the bed. However, the hold that was taken upon her left arm was actually surprisingly gentle and if anything, it felt more like she was being guided out from the dusty and shadowy underside of the bed rather than being pulled out against her will. What was going on here? Was this man simply luring her into a false sense of security before he would send her to her doom, or did he really have no intentions of hurting her?

**"Are you alright?"** His voice was rough and gravelly, and had an almost sand papery quality to it as he gently led her out into the main body of the room from her hiding place beneath the bed. As Elena trembled with her wrist cradled in the gentle hold, she had to look up at the man's face with some disbelief as those terrifying eyes gazed down at her in return. She had obviously been hysterical down in that crypt from which he had risen, and had quite blatantly been running for her life when he had been chasing her down only moments ago. She had even hidden under the bed in the hopes of escaping from this nightmare! How could she _possibly_ be alright?! And why did it even matter to him if she wasn't alright? Wasn't he planning to kill her at all? Apparently not, since the very next words that fell from his hidden lips just so happened to be: **"Listen...I'm not going to hurt you."** The sincerity that dwelled within that rough voice seemed enough to convince this naive teenager that he was indeed telling her the truth, and Elena was gradually able to relax a little within his presence knowing this. After all, he would have to be a magnificent actor to be able to feign such a truthful quality in his voice, and this man looked like a complete stranger to the stage. Despite his suspicious appearance and spine-chilling voice, Elena couldn't help but feel that she was almost in safe hands with this man. No matter how she looked at her situation, she could somehow feel the terror just melting away. Still, he did seem like an intimidating and magnificent character as he elegantly eased himself up into a standing postion. His posture was perfect, giving Elena the impression that the man standing before her was someone who was most definitely silent and deadly if one were to get on the wrong side of him. To Elena, the stranger seemed to be displaying his more gentle and reassuring side, although even this was somewhat icy and reluctant in a way. Although most of her fear of the man was gone, she wasn't about to let her guard down quite yet. After all, she hadn't entirely forgiven him for scaring her so much by giving chase earlier, even if he had only been doing so to make sure that she was alright.

**"F-...fine!"** Elena finally raised the courage to reply as she tore her wrist from his grasp, folding her arms tightly and protectively across her chest as she hugged herself defensively. Her gaze was soon enough lowered to the floor and an awkward silence fell over them once that sharp answer had been given. Her confidence was slowly but surely returning now that she had made up her mind about this man. What Elena didn't realise that such a tone was so painfully familiar to the man who stood before. How was she to know that by speaking to him in such a snappy, impatient tone and turning away as she cradled herself in her arms she was unearthing ancient memories of what felt like an eternity passed by now. With her body trembling and turned away, she blinded herself to the hurt expression upon his face as she stood with her back to him, pushing him away and keeping him out. He had felt himself being pushed away in such a manner several times before, and even though this was a teenage girl rather than the beauty that had broken his heart all those years ago, he felt old emotional wounds being scraped open just at the sight of her. He couldn't stand it. Once before he had suffered the pain of heartbreak at his beloved's hands, and those shards that he had finally managed to collect and assemble once again had simply shattered into smaller pieces and scattered in all directions. Unable to stand facing such memories again, he simply turned and left the room with a quiet:

**"If I am needed, then you know well where I am. However, I request only that you make less noise than last time..."** It sounded as though he hardly cared about the girl at all, but the fact alone that he had offered her his services in that subtle way of his was enough to show that he did care at least a little, if only because of how seeing that girl in such a way had brought forth memories of _her_. It had been as painful as a knife to his fragile heart, but in a way it had also been mildly comforting to know that her memory lingered on even after she had long since left this planet.

**Relief**

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That had been a weird encounter, and Elena had been left standing so defensively for a while even after the mysterious man had departed back for the crypt. He was on her side? Really? Well, that was what it had seemed like at least, and Elena couldn't help but confess that to know that she had an ally here (no matter how strange) was so very comforting. He was a cold and peculiar guy, but she could hardly be fussy about such things when she had just discovered that she had an ally in this cold, dark and shadowy place. The down-side to this situation was that if she ever wished to see him again, she would have to venture down into that terrible crypt once again. For now however, she would feel just a little bit safer sleeping in her bed with the knowledge that somewhere downstairs, someone was willing to help her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Night**

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That night felt like the longest, darkest night that she had experienced in a long time. Perhaps it was the knowledge of what lay several floors beneath her that kept her awake. Despite how tired she currently was, young Elena's mind was buzzing, filled with curiosity over the mysterious man that she had come into contact with all those hours ago. It didn't seem to matter that they hadn't been properly introduced and it didn't seem to matter how strange their first meeting had been, for it seemed that he was on her side in this dark, awful mansion filled with the ghouls of her nightmares. It definitely brought her some comfort to know so, at least.

As she lay on her side in bed, her honey-coloured eyes warily watched the shadowy room that surrounded her for any sudden movement. Every so often she would hear a floorboard creak under the foot of a figment of her imagination and would find herself sitting bolt upright in bed as a result, her hands clenched into fists as she prepared for battle. Perhaps it wouldn't have been quite so unnerving if she looked to find some beast of Hell leering over her with hunger and bloodlust in its eyes, but it was the absence of this that frightened her the most. She was left alone in a terrifying atmosphere, waiting for some horror of the night to leap out of the dark and grab her. Somehow, it was the knowing that this would never come that scared her most of all.

_T-...this was a mistake! _she thought, trembling where she sat with the blankets wrapped protectively around herself. For now, these were all that stood between her and certain doom. That wasn't at all comforting. As childish as she felt thinking such thoughts, she was almost tempted to hurry down to the crypt and summon that odd stranger to guard her for a while. Then again, as trustworthy as the man had seemed during their first encounter, he could even be in alliance with these beasts of her nightmares. He had climbed out of a coffin and chased her through the mansion after all, even if it was just to make sure that she was alright. **"I...I hate it here!"** Elena whined to the dark abyss that she was enclosed within for the night. She wasn't even sure whether or not this place was any safer than her home in Midgar any more. By now, she was wondering if she had actually thought things through properly before she had run away, but she knew deep down that there was no turning back now. However, as she sat there quivering in her cocoon of blankets, she vowed to at least try not to do things on the spur of the moment from now on. Elena really didn't want the rest of her life to turn out like this awful situation that she had trapped herself in, after all.

Another unnerving _creak_ sent her blood running cold. She knew that she hadn't imagined that one this time. When it sounded a second time, she curled up tighter beneath the blankets like a child hiding from the creature under the bed. As silly as it felt to be someone with her battle experience and be behaving like a frightened child, Elena simply couldn't help it. Bad guys were one thing, while merciless creatures of the damned were another cup of tea entirely. The supernatural was something that she hadn't received any kind of training against and nor was it something that she had even believed to exist before today. That had all changed when she had set foot inside this terrible place, and now that new belief was exciting her imagination and using it as an ultimate weapon against what remained of her courage. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to stand this torment.

A scream was pulled forth from her lips as yet another spine-chilling creak was tugged forth from her lips. It filled the room and shot down the coriddor beyond, echoing faintly down in the cavernous main hall that lay below. Elena regretted it immediately, for her scream attracted footsteps like a moth drawn to a flame. As those thudding footfalls fell upon the creaky floorboard that led towards the room, Elena could only scorn and curse ShinRa with what she believed would be her final thoughts. She cursed the fools who had built this place, those whose spirits lingered on, and finally, those who had corrupted her sister and turned her into who she was. Had none of those things occurred, Elena could still be curled up in bed at home without a care in the world other than her studies and her part-time job. Damn ShinRa. Damn them all. Elena had always known that she would most likely perish at the hands of that foul company (or at least that the name would have something to do with her death if she died young) and it seemed that she was about to be proven correct.

The footsteps reached her room, approaching her bed slowly with every second that passed. Whatever this creature was that had come to torture her, it was certainly taking its time and enjoying the sight of her squirming beneath the blankets under the pressure caused by the unbearable atmosphere in the room. No doubt her fear could be tasted in the very air itself by now, and that was most likely what was bringing that monster closer and closer. It was now by the very bed itself, most likely leering down upon her as she curled up tighter within her shell of soft fabric, which was slowly peeled away to reveal her quivering body to its eyes. She didn't dare look, she didn't dare breathe. Her breath was held back, trapped in her chest while her beating heart leapt up and hammered within her throat. The knot in her stomach was unbearable as she lay beneath her devil's gaze, her imagination running wild and painting horrifying images in her mind to illustrate her beast. It made sure that her eyes remained tightly shut for fear of what she may see if she opened them. Elena wasn't certain whether by now, it was actually her imagination or this beast that she was more afraid of, but whichever it was, it had her frozen and rooted to the spot. She was completely at the mercy of the creature of Hell.

It made contact after a few torturous moments that it spent simply observing her and watching its effect upon her. In a way, Elena only wished that it would hurry up and finish her off so that she could die in peace, rather than live in fear, trapped upon the bed and trembling beneath the horror that the beast's very presence was causing her. When she felt the warm, soft hand pressed lightly against the pale skin of her cheek, Elena was certain that the end was near. She sobbed and whimpered at only the lightest of touches, the warmth from that hand covering her entire tear-stained cheek as it cupped it tenderly, no doubt toying with her some more before the time came to bring this game to an end. All Elena could do was quiver and cry like a helpless and frightened child as she awaited her death with her eyes tightly shut.

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End file.
